Commercial
By Guy Worley
Reshaping Spaces
for Millennials
D
esigning the perfect workspace
isn't just a matter of efficiency and
ergonomics; it's a moving target
that changes with generational
shifts in the workforce. Each successive
generation brings a unique set of needs and
preferences that have been shaped by culture
and their experiences. In turn, those needs
and preferences shape the definition of an
optimized office.
Last year, the millennial generation officially bypassed baby boomers to take the lead
as the largest population group in the United
States. The shifting demographic balance of
working-age individuals toward millennials
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brings progressive changes in office space. Case in point: more than 70
percent of U.S. workspaces are moving to an open layout.
Office space has and always will play a vital role in talent attraction. As the millennial generation begins to dominate the workforce,
needs and expectations for office environments are shifting rapidly.
Closed-off offices and cubicles have now been replaced with open office concepts and communal workspaces, and millennials are driving
this change.
New Techniques
To keep pace with the needs of the millennial generation, the construction industry is embracing a new set of techniques offering open
and innovative work environments that appeal to millennials. These
design changes have been specifically observed in the downtown
neighborhoods that are magnets for millennials. According to a